She's All That, Even If He Doesn't Know It Yet
by CateandBaze4evr
Summary: Lily and James make a bet. James can transform Lily into a girl that can land a popular boy. But what happens when Lily realizes that she has him, but doesn't want him, and James realizes he fell for the uptight know-it-all that he helped transform? R&R!
1. The Bet

_**A/N: So let me start off by saying Happy Fourth of July everybody! :) I really hope you like this story, although its a bit different from most Lily/James fanfictions out there, I am definately liking where it is going. Also, I would really love some reviews on this story. My updates will be more frequent the more reviews/favorites/and alerts that I get! **_

_**Happy Reading xx**_

**Chapter One: The Bet**

Lily Evans sat on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, staring into the fire. Her best friends, Alice Prewett and Marlene McKinnon, sat on either side of her.

"I don't know what to do!" Lily moaned, putting her hands on either side of her face and resting her elbows on her knees. She was Head Girl, top of her class, and pretty to boot. So why couldn't she manage to get up the courage to talk to Dean McLaggen? Oh right, because he was PERFECT. She was way out of his league.

"Lily, just talk to him!" Alice said, looking over at her friend. Lily was gorgeous, though she didn't see it. She had fiery red hair, green eyes, and a really great body. She was smart, and even though she could be a little uptight at times, she didn't know how to have fun when she wanted.

Marlene nodded, patting Lily on the back kindly. "You are perfect for each other, you just have to actually talk to him so he realizes it too."

Lily shook her head vehemently. "No way. I don't even want to risk the rejection. I think I'll be better off if I just…you know….admire him from afar."

Marlene and Alice exchanged a look. This was unbelievable. Lily was usually determined to go after what she wanted, without thinking twice about it.

Before either of them could think of a reply, James Potter walked over and sat down on the coffee table in front of Lily.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Did you even think about loosening up a little? Maybe then you wouldn't have so much trouble landing someone to snog every now and then." He smirked. Lily looked up, and when she saw James, the sadness on her face disappeared and was replaced by a glare.

"Oh who asked you, you stupid git?" she snapped, throwing one of the couch pillows at his face. He laughed and caught it.

"Fine," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, "I thought I'd be nice and try to help you out, you know, us being Head Boy and Girl and all." He stood, making to walk over to the other Marauders-Sirius, Remus, and Peter-who were playing a game of wizard chess in the corner of the room closest to the portrait hole.

"How do you think you could help me?" Lily asked snarkily, standing up as well. James paused, turning back to Lily slowly.

"I'm a guy. I know exactly what guys like. I could give you tips so you can get this Dean bloke to fancy you as much as you fancy him." James replied, raising his eyebrow as Lily seemed to be deliberating.

"Well, Dean is different than you! He's not a playboy prankster who wants to snog a new girl in a closet every night."

"Trust me Evans, all guys think the same. Just because this Dean person doesn't act out his thoughts, doesn't mean he isn't thinking them." James stated, rolling his eyes at Lily's naivety.

"If I do agree to this, to you giving me advice, what's in it for you?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, let's make a bet. If my advice works, you help me with whatever homework I need help with and you take over my patrol when I need you to." James said. Lily seemed to think about it for a minute.

"Okay…" Lily agreed, "And if it doesn't work?"

"That's irrelevant, because it will work, but hmmm…how about I take over patrol for you whenever you want?" James said, not able to think of any other thing that would interest Lily "goody-two shoes" Evans.

"Done." Lily said easily, reaching out to shake James's hand.

"Great." James said, shaking her hand as well. He hadn't expected her to agree so easily, but he wasn't complaining. Pretty soon he would be reveling in the nights he skipped out on patrol duties while Lily took his place, and not concentrating in class because Lily would have to help him with his homework so there really was no sense in that anyways. "We start tomorrow. Six o'clock sharp. Meet me here." James grinned, already beginning to work out a plan in his head. Dean McLaggen was a goner, it was a sure thing.

Lily sighed, not quite believing what she had just gotten herself into. "See you then." She said as James walked over to his friends, apparently done with her for the night.

When she sat back down, Alice and Marlene were staring at her. "What?" she asked, looking from Alice Marlene and back again.

"This is the Lily we know and love." Marlene stated, grinning widely. Alice giggled.

"Teaming up with James Potter, the biggest playboy in the school after Sirius Black, who happens to be his best mate, to go after Dean." Alice giggled again.

Lily smiled. "Well, I realized I was being sort of a downer. I might as well at least give it a try, no harm in that. And with James's insight into a guy's mind, I might stand a chance."

"You stood a chance without James," Marlene said, "but now you are guaranteed an in."

"I only hope that he doesn't try and make me look like a bimbo." Lily laughed, just picturing James telling her to act like all the girls that he has been with.

"It's James Potter Lily," Alice replied, yawning and looking at the clock. "There's no way of knowing what he's going to have you do."

"True." Lily nodded, yawning as well. "We might as well go up to bed now. I have to get up at six! How sick is that?"

"That is sick," Marlene chuckled, "very sick indeed. Ha, you have fun with that. I'm not the one who made the bet though. There is no way I'm getting up that early."

Lily glared lovingly at Marlene as the three of them started towards the dormitories.

"Goodnight Evans!" James called from the corner. "Go and get your beauty sleep. And don't forget, six o'clock on the dot!" Lily rolled her eyes and waved her hand over her shoulder.

Meanwhile, over in the corner, James was telling the other Marauders about the bet. They sat there for another hour or so, the game of chess forgotten, and mapped out a plan to ensure that James won the bet.

**_A/N: Hello again. I know I already had a note at the beginning, but I just wanted to remind you of that little button right below this saying "Push me, push me, push me!" _**

**_Comment, questions, likes/dislikes/constuctive criticisim...its all welcomed and appreciated! Or, you can just stop by and say hello :) Whichever you like, please, just review._******


	2. Getting Ready

_**A/N: Okay, so I told myself that I would try not to upload multiple chapters at one time, because NOBODY ever reviews my stories the other times I have done that, but techically, this wouldn't be two in one day :) So thanks to all of you great people you left reviews (you know who you are) here's another chapter. I really hope you like it!**_

_**Please please please review! The more reviews, the more loved I feel, and the more updates YOU get ;)**_

**Chapter Two: Getting Ready**

Lily groaned and sat up wearily when she heard her alarm ring, signaling that it was time to get up. Potter would be waiting for her, and she was curious as to what he had planned for the day. After blinking and rubbing her eyes a few times, Lily rolled out of bed and drifted to the bathroom. Deciding she had time for a quick shower-after all, Potter couldn't be too anal about her being a few minutes late-she turned on the warm water and hopped in.

Lily washed her hair with her favorite strawberry scented shampoo, and when she was finished she got out and wrapped herself in one of the too-small white towels, having left her robes hanging in the wardrobe. She brushed her teeth, using her favorite mint toothpaste, and proceeded to her bedroom.

To her surprise-and absolute horror-James Potter was lounging on her bed, casually flipping through this week's Witches Weekly Magazine.

"Potter!" Lily hissed, clutching her towel tightly, suddenly aware of just how small it was, and how much of her skin was showing.

James grinned, setting aside the magazine and looking Lily from head to toe, a mischievous glint in his eye. Lily shivered-he really needed to stop looking at her like that.

"Wow Evans," Potter smirked, placing his feet on the floor. "I didn't know you had all that," he gave a pointed look, "under those baggy robes you wear all the time."

Lily felt herself blush, and James' smile just got wider.

"Potter, I don't know how you got in here, but you need to go. I'll get dressed and meet you in the common room, like we were supposed to."

"We were supposed to meet at six sharp. I was worried you were backing out when you didn't show." James chuckled.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Out." She demanded, pointing to the doors.

"Wait just a minute here Evans. I get to pick your outfit today."

Lily wrinkled her nose. Was he really that dense? Hogwarts had a dress code, and that dress code was robes over the required white button up blouse and black skirt for girls and the same for boys, just with black trousers instead. He couldn't choose an outfit when all the robes looked the same…

James, catching her look, shook his head. "Evans, Evans, Evans," he tsked. "There's a difference in the way you wear an outfit. I am simply here to help you with that."

Lily sighed. Oh Merlin, she thought, what have I gotten myself into?

"Now," James said, clapping his hands together, standing. "Get your shirt and skirt and bring them to me. Go put on all your girly under garments and then come back here." James demanded.

Lily mock saluted, then did as he said. She still felt extremely uncomfortable in just the towel, so maybe at least having her underwear on would help.

After putting them on, she wrapped herself in the towel once more, and returned to her bed, where James was sitting, waiting for her to come back.

"Now Lily, before you get dressed, tell me-do you or do you not want to land McLaggen?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I…erm…well yes, I do." Lily said, blushing again. She felt so silly for all of this.

"Okay. So you will listen and do what I say. Even if you don't quite like it, correct?"

Lily nodded hesitantly.

Jams grinned. "Put these on then." He said, tossing her a white button up shirt and a black skirt with pleats. They were hers-the ones she had handed him, but now they were noticeably smaller.

Lily sighed, wanting to argue but knowing that she had just agreed to do whatever Potter said. She had to, if she wanted a shot with Dean.

"Turn around Potter."

James chuckled. "Shy, are we Evans?" he teased, although he did turn around. When Lily was dressed, she gave James permission to turn back around, and when he saw her his eyes widened.

"What? What is it?" Lily grimaced, tugging on the skirt-which happened to be so short that half of her thigh was visible. The longer James just sat there, the more uncomfortable Lily got.

"That's it!" she said, throwing her hands up. "I'm changing."

This seemed to pull James out of his state of shock because he jumped up quickly and shook his head. "No, no don't change. I was just….it's just that…you actually look, well, you look hot." James admitted, running his hands through his already messy hair. He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her so that she was facing into the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. Lily looked at her reflection in awe, almost unable to recognize herself.

She usually took to very big, baggy clothing to hide her figure, and the difference the tighter clothes made was very apparent. The white shirt was perfectly molded to Lily's every curve, the sleeves-which only reached her elbows, showed off her slim forearms, and a generous amount of cleavage was visible. The skirt, just a plain black one with little pleats at the bottom, hit mid-thigh, exposing her long, smooth legs. Her red hair, still damp from the shower, hit in the middle of her back. She usually had it up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face, but James instructed her to leave it down, and it actually looked pretty.

She let her eyes travel over her face, taking in how the slight blush she still had from James' gaze gave her ivory skin color, and how her eyes looked incredibly wide and green today. She smiled, turning to James.

Usually she didn't think twice about the way she looked-always having homework or Head Girl duties or Dean on her mind. But now that James had helped her dress a little sexier, she saw that she could actually be considered pretty.

"I…didn't know I could look like this." Lily said quietly, not quite able to look him in the eye.

"Evans, have a little faith in yourself. You're a knockout." James grinned, tapping the bottom of her chin like she was a little kid.

Lily rolled her eyes. Same old James Potter, always making jokes.

She slipped on her robes, leaving them open in the front instead of tying them as she regularly did, and slipped on her Gryffindor tie.

"Ready to make your grand debut as my student, Miss Evans?" James asked playfully, holding out his elbow.

Lily slipped on her shows and grabbed her schoolbag. Then, tentatively, she grabbed the hook of James' elbow and smiled at him. He blinked, shaking his head and looking from her lips to her eyes and back again. She smiled wider.

"Yeah Potter, I think I am ready."

**_A/N: Pst! Hey you...ya you! Click that little button right below here and write a lil something to show me the lovee please! xx :)_**


	3. Grand Entrance at Breakfast

_**A/N: Here's another chapter thanks to all you great reviewers! You know who you are people, and just let me say I adore you :) **_

_**Also, I want to give a sepcial thanks to People Always Leave. for the great comment on this story. I hope you are back reading this new chapter, and if you are, thank you. I appreciate the constructive criticism and I hope I caught all the little mistakes in this chapter! **_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Three: Grand Entrance at Breakfast**

By the time Lily and James got down to the Great Hall, most of the school was already eating. Lily paused outside the doors. She was beginning to have second thoughts about her outfit now that she thought about other people-Dean included –seeing her in it.

James, sensing her uneasiness, stopped beside her. "You'll be fine Evans. You look great, McLaggen is going to wet his pants when he sees you, so take a deep breath and come on. I'm starving."

Lily did as she was told, hating herself for actually listening to James Potter, but still hoping that this plan would work and Dean would be interested in her.

They walked through the great double doors together and walked down the aisle, past the other house tables because of course Gyffindor just had to be at the very end. Not even two seconds after they walked through the doors and everyone saw her outfit-and her walking with _the _James Potter, no less-every single person turned in their seats to watch her take hers next to James.

Lily was blushing an alarming shade of scarlet, and Remus-who had already been sitting at the table with Sirius and Peter-asked her if she was okay. Lily nodded at the platter of bacon in front of her, not wanting to look up and see the eyes of everyone in the school turned on her.

Remus shrugged, turning his attention to James and Sirius, who were deep in conversation about the upcoming Qudditich match.

"Slytherin has no chance of beating us!" Sirius exclaimed, wildly waving the piece of bacon he was holding, causing Peter to duck his head to avoid getting hit in the eye.

James grinned. "No way in hell. Our team is absolutely bloody brilliant this year."

Remus chuckled at his friends' enthusiasm. He wasn't much of a player, but he was a big supporter of his two best mates and he went to every match.

James, finally noticing Lily's silence, turned to her.

"Lily, why don't you ask McLaggen to go to the match with you?" he asked as he speared some fluffy scrambled eggs with his fork.

Lily looked up at him, alarmed. "Are you kidding?" she practically screamed. "I cant just walk up to _Dean McLaggen _and ask him to go to the bloody Quidditich match with me! You are supposed to be helping me, not giving me some idiotic advice like that."

James looked taken aback at her outburst, and Sirius, having watched the whole thing while surreptitiously stuffing his face, laughed loudly.

"Bloody hell Evans. You really are insufferably uptight."

Lily glared at him venomously. "Oh just shut up Black."

Sirius, having fun aggravating Lily even more than she already seemed to be, continued taunting her. "What are you afraid of Evans? Scared he won't share your love affair with kissing ass?"

James and Remus both grimaced. Sirius was like a brother to both of them, but he could be really rude sometimes without even realizing it. Lily sat quietly, her gaze returning to the table in front of her.

"See what you did now?" James mouthed silently at Sirius, who just shrugged and kept shoveling food into his mouth.

"Lily, just ignore Sirius. He can be a bit of a prick sometimes…well, most of the time, really." James said, placing his hand on her shoulder lightly.

"I'm fine James." Lily sniffed. She was obviously upset, having called him James rather than Potter.

"Lily, really…" James began, but Lily cut him off and shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

"You know what. This was stupid. I shouldn't have even started this stupid bet in the first place. Everyone in this school thinks I'm just an uptight know-it-all. Dean won't even look twice at me so why don't we just forget it?" She said angrily. James noticed that her eyes were shining brightly with unshed tears.

"Lily, no. I won't let you give up just because of something Sirius said. All we have to do is prove that you aren't an insufferable know-it-all. Trust me, Dean was eyeing you when we walked in here," James stopped, glancing down the table, "he's doing it now as well."

Lily glance over her shoulder, down to the end of the Gryffindor table, and saw Dean looking at her. Their eyes locked for a second, and Lily looked away, blushing yet again. The curse of being a redhead.

"Well how do we prove that I'm not?" she asked.

James grinned, looking at Remus, Sirius, and Peter. "Oh, I'm sure we can find something for you to do to prove it. Just leave that to me."

Lily looked at the four boys nervously. The four of them-the Marauders- were notoriously famous for pulling pranks and not getting caught by the teachers, though everyone in the school knew it was them. Finally she nodded and all four of them grinned at her.

Lily looked down at her watch. Seeing that it was already almost time for classes to begin, she pushed her unused plate away. She wasn't very hungry anyways.

"I'm going to class now." She said, standing up and grabbing her bag. She went to pull the skirt down, but caught herself. It would take some getting used to, but she could manage.

"We have class together though." James said around a mouthful of toast.

"I'm hoping to catch Marlene and Alice on the way though, so we can have a little girl talk. I haven't seen either of them this morning." Lily explained, raising her eyebrow at James.

Did he seriously expect them to do everything together because of this bet? If he did he was seriously mistaken because that wasn't going to work with Lily.

"Oh, okay then. See you in class Evans." James said, turning back to his food and the other three Marauders, who all nodded a goodbye her way as their mouths were stuffed with food.

"See you Potter." Lily said, and after taking a deep breath, she walked down the aisle, past all the whispering people with her head held high.

**_A/N: This little button down here is just begging to be clicked! You know you want to ;)_**


	4. Conversations and Flirting in the Halls

_**A/N: Thank you all so much for the great reviews! You are all amazing, and you totally make my day. **_

_**Also, I wanted to say that if anyone wants to see something specific happen in the story, message me or tell me in a review what you want to see and I will write it in if I can. I want to make sure that you guys are reading what you want :)**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Four: Conversations and Flirting in the Halls**

When Lily left the hall in search of Alice and Marlene, the Marauders were free to discuss the bet openly, without worrying about if she would get offended. James turned to Remus, who was spreading jam on a piece of toast and watching Sirius scarf down the whole platter of bacon in about two seconds flat with a look of amazement on his face.

"So Moony, what do you think?" James asked, shaking his head at Sirius, who still looked as though he wanted more food.

"What do I think about what, exactly?" Remus asked, turning his attention to James, who was tapping his fingers on the table in front of him, smiling slightly.

"Well, Evans of course. She looked pretty good this morning right? McLaggen is going to date her, and I'll win the bet. It's perfect, yeah?" he said excitedly.

Sirius and Peter, sensing an interesting conversation, scooted closer and each of them leaned their elbows on the table, listening intently.

"Yes, well, she did look very…well, she looked like most of the girls that throw themselves at you and Padfoot." Remus said, biting into his toast once it was covered in his favorite jam.

"Don't worry Prongs. There is no way you can lose this bet. McLaggen will be drooling after Evans by the end of the day, the way you dressed her. It's almost like she was wearing nothing at all…I mean you could see just about everything on the girl, and who knew right?" Sirius chuckled. "I would've never guessed."

James laughed. "I told her that when she walked out of her bathroom in her towel this morning. She wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't such a…what's the word? Geek, yeah that's it." James said, grabbing a muffin and stuffing it in his bag as he stood up.

The others followed, getting ready to make their way to class. "I think she's very pretty." Squeaked Peter quietly. He was hovering by Sirius's elbow, as usual, and all the Marauders glanced at him, shaking their heads.

"Of course you do Peter. You think any girl that you see is pretty." Sirius laughed, pushing Peter away from him lightly, then he turned his attention back to James. "So, Prongs…you think you're gonna get a little snogging action from Evans before you turn her over to McLaggen?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and stuck out his tongue.

James grinned. "Never know what opportunity might present itself Padfoot. I mean, Evans isn't so bad if there's no other options to take into consideration." They both laughed and walked out of the Great Hall, followed by Peter and Remus, who were both shaking their heads at their two best mates.

Lily walked through the corridors, searching for either Alice or Marlene, preferably both of them together, but she would take what she could get. Neither of them were in her class this period, or any of the classes up until lunch. She desperately needed to talk to them, to reassure herself that listening to James was worth it, and they both always seemed to know just what to say to her when she needed them.

After a couple more minutes of looking for them, Lily headed to class. She had History of Magic with Potter this period, and she was seriously dreading it. He would probably try and convince her to ask Dean to go to the Quidditich match again, and that was something she didn't even want to think about at the moment. She could barely pass him going from class to class without getting sweaty palms and nearly having a panic attack.

Lily walked into class and took her seat in the very back. She usually was partnered with Liberty Finnigan, but Liberty had been sent home the week before when she found out that her grandmother was very ill and that her mother needed help caring for her. Lily sat, hoping that someone would take the seat next to her before Potter did, but her hopes were ignored because just then, James slid into the seat beside her, his signature smirk on his face.

"Did you have the nice little girly chat you needed Evans?" he asked, throwing his bag on the table carelessly.

Lily glanced at him as she took out her own History of Magic book and a piece of parchment, her quill, and an ink well. "No, I couldn't find Marlene or Alice anywhere. I don't know where on Earth they could be, but I suppose I'll just have to talk to them later." She sighed, not really wanting to wait but knowing she had to.

"Oh, that's too bad." James said, not sounding like he meant it at all. "On another note, Remus, Sirius and I are planning a way to remake your image. We should have something brilliant by tomorrow."

Lily nodded slightly. "Okay." She said simply, uncapping her ink well and setting it carefully in front of her.

"You aren't even a bit curious?" James asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

Lily looked over at him again. "Why be curious? It's not like I have a say in it anyways. I'll just have to do it whether or not I want to."

James frowned. He hadn't thought about it like that. "Well, you do have a say in it. I just thought you wanted to date McLaggen is all. I was just trying to help you out."

Lily sighed. "It's fine Potter. I agreed. We have a bet."

Before James could reply, Professor Bagshot walked in the room, carrying a rather enormous pile of parchment. After placing the papers on her desk, she turned to face the class.

"Good morning students!" she said merrily. "Turn to page one hundred for today's lesson please."

After sitting through a very boring lecture on the beginnings of the Ministry of Magic and being assigned a two-page essay of the fundamentals on which the Ministry was based upon, both Lily and James were thankful to get out of the classroom. They both had Charms next, so they walked down the corridor together although they didn't talk much.

They were almost to class when Lily spotted Dean walking towards them. She turned to James, feeling herself getting butterflies in her stomach. What it really felt like was the Whomping Williow, but she tried not to think about it.

"James, Dean is walking towards us," she whispered, "what do I do?"

James thought quickly. What did a girl do that caught his eye in the hallways? "Okay, when he gets right in front of us, I'm going to say something, and you should giggle and twirl a strand of your hair around your finger. Look at him while you do that, but not directly, like, through your eyelashes."

Lily nodded, biting her lip nervously. James stared at her, trying to remember what he had been saying a minute ago. Damn, she was really distracting and she wasn't even trying. It was those bloody perfect lips on hers, all full and glossy looking…..

He shook his head and Lily gave him a strange look. McLaggen was right ahead now, it was time to see if Lily had it in her.

"So…Peter says he thinks you're pretty." James said, not able to think of anything else to say. He watched as Lily giggled girlishly and twirled a strand of fiery looking hair around her finger. She bit her lip again and looked at McLaggen through her eyelashes, exactly as James had told her to.

McLaggen paused, looking Lily up and down, then smiled widely at her and winked. Lily smiled shyly and turned away, continuing down the hall with James by her side. He was stunned. She had done that perfectly, and she had definitely caught McLaggen's attention.

When they were far enough away, Lily broke out into a huge grin and threw her arms around James. "I did it! What you told me to do worked! He smiled at me!" she exclaimed, letting go of James and bouncing around in little circles, looking totally dorky but absolutely adorable at the same time.

James smiled, still a little shocked that it had been that easy for her. When he had offered to help her out, she had made it sound like she was totally helpless, not extremely adept at flirting.

"Yeah, you did brilliantly." James said, watching her as she danced around the hallway in front of the Charms classroom. Most of the students were already inside, so she was only getting a few strange glances from students hurrying past, and she didn't seem to care either way. "Evans, we should probably get to class now."

"Oh, right." She blushed, straightening out her robes. James held the door for her and she walked in the classroom, James following right behind her, to the two empty seats in the back.

When the lesson started, Lily leaned over towards James and her caught a whiff of strawberries. It made him feel a bit lightheaded.

"Thank you James." Lily whispered in his ear, her breath tickling his neck. "I think I forgot to say that earlier."

She leaned back, straightening in her seat again. James smiled at her.

"You're welcome Lily. I mean, Head Boy and Girl are supposed to help each other out right? Just consider it me fulfilling my duties to the school."

**_A/N: So I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! You know what to do now ;)_**

**_Also, if anyone has any ideas as to what the Marauders should have Lily do to change her image, let me know! I had something planned, but it isn't really turning out so I am open to suggestions. Thank you! :)_**


	5. Plotting in Potions

_**A/N: Okay guys, here's another chapter for you! I hope you like it! Review and let me know what you think. :) I'm lovin all the reviews I'm getting for this story. I feel appreciated, and it pushes me to keep on writing this story for you so please keep it up!**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Five: Plotting in Potions**

Charms had passed quickly and Lily was now stuck in Potions, listening to James, Sirius, and Remus discuss ways to change her image from the uptight know-it-all that nobody wanted to date to a hot girl that Dean would drool over.

"Maybe we can just help her plan a huge prank," Remus said, looking around their shared table. "That would show people that she can have fun."

James and Sirius shook their heads.

"No, that's not good enough. We have to prove that she is snogworthy." James said, glancing over at Lily, who was gathering the ingredients for the potion they had to make as a group.

"I've got it! The perfect way to get McLaggen's attention!" Sirius exclaimed, hitting the table and making the pile of ingredients Lily had made topple over. She looked up in frustration.

"Was that really necessary Black?" she snapped. Her good mood from the little run-in with Dean had all but vanished thanks to the Marauders talking about her as if she was totally untouchable just because she did well in her classes and followed the rules. It upset her, but instead of showing that she was upset, she got angry and snapped at people.

"Yes, it was Evans. You should be thanking me and praising my pure genius. I just thought up the most brilliant way to change the way people see you." Black grinned, looking around the table at Remus and James's curious faces.

"Well spit it out then!" Lily said, putting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrow.

Sirius rubbed his hands together.

"Okay, so here's the plan…"

The rest of the day passed quickly, and Lily was beginning to dread eating her dinner and returning to the common room so she could follow through with Sirius's plan. She honestly couldn't even believe she had agreed in the first place but she was getting desperate. It was already seventh year and if Dean didn't finally notice her this year then she wouldn't ever get a chance with him.

On her way to the Great Hall Lily ran into Alice and Marlene.

"Oh thank Merlin! I've been looking for you two all day. Neither of you were in Herbology and I really need to talk to you." Lily said.

"We're so sorry Lils! We've been in the hospital wing all day long." Alice replied as they started walking again.

"The hospital wing?" Lily questioned, "Were you sick? Or hurt?"

"No, nothing like that." Marlene chimed in, pulling the hair tie out of her hair and shaking her long blonde curls out. "McGonagal wanted us to work with Madam Pomfrey so we could get a little more training with healing."

Lily nodded in understanding. It made sense that Professor McGonagal would want them to have more training, seeing how they were the best healers in their year.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Alice asked, returning the topic of conversation to Lily.

"This bet! I think I'm in way over my head. I mean, look at me!" Lily said, gesturing to the outfit James had dressed her in.

Marlene and Alice paused, looking Lily over.

"Lily, you look….well, you look hot." Marlene grinned. "And I mean that in a totally not weird way."

Lily laughed. "I feel totally ridiculous though!"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Lily, you feel ridiculous because you have finally been forced out of your comfort zone."

"Just wait until I tell you about their plan to change my image from dork to dateable." Lily said as they walked into the Great Hall.

"Oh you better spill it all missy." Marlene laughed as they passed the Marauders, who were sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table. Lily smiled at James nervously, her thoughts going back to what she had to do tonight, in front of whoever happened to be in the common room and Dean. James smiled back and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

She shook her head. It was only pretending…they were going to be acting, nothing more. There was nothing to be nervous about, seeing how it was all fake anyway.

Lily continued down the table with Marlene and Alice. They sat down at the only three open seats halfway down the table and Marlene turned to Lily.

"Okay Lils, tell us this big plan now." Alice said before Marlene could say anything. She was already scooping potatoes onto her plate, but she was still eager to hear what was going to happen.

As they ate, Lily told them what she had to do. Marlene and Alice listened intently, encouraging her to go through with it when she had finished talking.

"Are you sure I should do it though?" Lily asked, looking at her two best friends. They nodded enthusiastically.

"What could it hurt Lily?" Marlene said, reaching for her pumpkin juice. "Even if it doesn't work exactly-which its going to-you might get a good snog out of it."

"If you do snog him, I want details!" Alice added, grinning at Lily.

"Okay, okay. I'll do it." Lily laughed. She was so grateful she had been able to talk to her friends about this. They had made her feel better about agreeing to the plan in the first place.

Lily took one more drink of her pumpkin juice, preparing herself for what was about to happen.

Before Lily had come into the Great Hall, James and the other three Marauders had been eating their dinners and talking about the plan Sirius had come up with.

"I'm a bloody genius Prongs, you should be thanking me." Sirius smirked, shoveling his face full of food yet again.

Remus shook his head. "Prongs, are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"

James nodded. "It's not like it means anything. Anyways, it's Evans we're talking about here. We can change how people see her, but we aren't changing who she is."

Remus shook his head again. "Whatever you say, Prongs."

"Stop being such a downer Mooney. Prongs is just gonna have a little fun while helping Evans out. No big deal. Right Prongs?"

"Right." James agreed.

"Here comes Lily and those two girls she's always with." Peter said, finally speaking up.

James looked up and saw Lily walking towards him. She was flanked by Marlene McKinnon, the tall, pretty blonde, and Alice Prewett, the tiny pixie-like girl with short brown hair.

When they passes by, Lily smiled at James, biting her lip again. He had noticed that she did it when she was nervous and he wondered if she was thinking about what they had to do tonight.

He smiled back and saw a blush appear on her cheeks before she turned away and continued down the table.

Remus chuckled and James turned on him.

"What are you laughing at Mooney?"

"Oh, nothing Prongs. Nothing at all."

**_A/N: You know what to do now I hope! Heres a hint...click that little button down there! :) You know you want to._**

**_Let me know what you like and dislike about this story so far please and I can work on making it more to your preference. :)_**


	6. Butterflies & Kissing in the Common Room

_**A/N: Okay so I decided to upload another chapter tonight because I am not sure if I'm going to have computer access tomorrow and I didn't want you to have to wait and see what the Marauders planned for Lily! :) Plus, you are all amazing and I wanted to make you happy with another really quick update.**_

_**So...since I did this, you should all leave a comment! Even if its just to say Hello or something! :D**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Six: Butterflies and Kissing in the Common Room**

James caught up with Lily, Marlene, and Alice when they were walking out of the Great Hall. The other Marauders had gone in search on McLaggen to make sure he was in the common room for the big scene.

"Evans, you ready to do this?" he asked once he was walking beside her down the corridor.

Lily looked at the other two girls, who nodded encouragingly.

"Yes Potter. I can do this, even if I wish I didn't have to."

James smirked cockily. "Oh c'mon you know you aren't that opposed to it. No girl can resist James Potter. And you, Lily Evans, are no exception." He winked.

Lily rolled her eyes and hit him on the arm playfully. "Whatever. That ego of your is too big for your own good Potter."

James laughed. "I just wanted to make sure you were clear on the plan. I'll see you in a bit Evans."

"Bye Potter." Lily replied. Marlene and Alice watched the exchange silently.

James had only walked a couple feet away when he turned around. "Remember Evans, this has to be really believable to work." He called. Lily gave him a thumbs up. She knew what she had to say and do, and she would do it the best she could.

"Merlin, that boy is one fine specimen." Marlene noted as they watched James saunter off down the hall away from them.

"Mmmhmm." Alice agreed. They both looked at Lily, who blushed.

"He's not bad looking…but he's not Dean." She said, not meeting their eyes.

"No, he's not Dean." Marlene stated. "He's much hotter than Dean!"

Alice giggled and Lily's blush deepened.

"We need to get going. We have to be in the common room before the Marauders get there with Dean and James shows up." Lily replied, choosing to ignore her friends' comments for the moment.

The girls get off, heading to the Gryffindor common room. The butterflies returned to Lily's stomach with much more force than before. Oh Merlin, she thought, I'm in way over my head with this….

Half and hour later Lily, Marlene, and Alice were sitting in the chairs around the fire. There weren't very many people in the common room and Lily was thankful for that. She didn't want to play out the little scene she had to with a crowd watching. It was bad enough that she had to act it out in front of Dean just so he would see her differently.

"Where are they?" Lily whispered, looking towards the portrait hold that served as the door to Gryffindor tower.

"Lily, chill. They'll be here soon I'm sure." Marlene said, flipping the page in her book. She and Alice had a strange obsession with Muggle romance novels that Lily blamed herself for. When they had visited her house last summer, they had found her mother's old box of romance novels and Lily let them read some of the books. They had been obsessed with them ever since.

Before Lily could make a comment about the book, the portrait hole opened and Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Dean spilled through.

The butterflies that had taken residence in her stomach gave an unpleasant flutter and Lily looked away quickly, turning to gaze to the fire instead.

Marlene and Alice grinned. They knew all about the plan, and they were ready for a show.

Lily watched out of the corner of her eye as the Marauders led a slightly confused Dean over to a table in the corner where a board for Wizards Chess was set up. They took a seat and Lily's stomach clenched. Any moment James would be coming in and Lily would have to act.

"Five." Marlene grinned, setting down her book.

"Four." Alice counted, sitting up in her chair.

"Three."

"Two."

They didn't even get to one before James came bursting into the common room. He looked around wildly, running a hand through his already messy hair. When he spotted her, he walked over to the fire.

"Lily, we have to talk." James exclaimed, standing in front of her.

"What is it James?" Lily said, feigning boredom like she was supposed to do.

"Can we go somewhere private to talk. Please Lily."

"I've already told you James, I'm done with this. You were a good snog, but I'm looking for a little something else. You just don't have what I want." Lily said, looking over at Dean pointedly smiling a little, just like Sirius had told her to do. Dean, meeting her gaze, stared at her in shock.

Lily saw Remus nudge him with his elbow before she turned her attention back to James, who was pretending to be upset.

"But I need you Lily." James said, looking Lily straight in the eyes as he took a step closer to her.

Man, he's really good at this, Lily thought as her breath caught in her throat. He had gorgeous eyes, all deep and soulful. A pretty hazel with flecks of gold. A girl could get lost in those eyes if she let herself.

"I'm sorry James but I've moved on."

He took another step closer to her, and they were only inches apart now.

He's going to kiss you Lily, she thought, biting her lip. You have to do this…for Dean…it won't work if you don't do this.

James leaned closer to her, putting his hands on either side of her face.

"C'mon Lily, you know you don't mean that." He said quietly, but still loud enough for Dean to hear. She felt everybody's eyes on her, but she couldn't think straight. Then his lips were on hers.

She had expected the kiss, had even prepared herself mentally for it all day, but what she hadn't planned on was her reaction.

Her hands moved to his hair, her fingers getting tangled in the strands. She gave a little gasp and then his tongue was in her mouth. He tasted soooo good. She didn't want to stop, but then she remembered why she was doing this in the first place. Dean, she thought, stop kissing Potter. You like Dean!

Lily broke away, pushing James away from her. "You can't do that James! I'm over you!" she shouted, following her lines perfectly. It was just the kiss that had been a little off script.

James tried to step closer again but she took a step back, away from him.

"Lily…" he began, but she cut him off.

"No, James. I can't talk this anymore. You try to scare away any guy that shows an interest in me. I want someone else, not you!" Lily exclaimed, looking over at Dean again.

He seemed to take the hint this time and stood up. "Potter, I think you should go now." He said, looking from Lily to James.

Lily saw Sirius, Remus, and Peter exchange high-fives. It had worked, obviously. So why wasn't Lily as happy as she thought she would be?

James looked from Lily to Dean and back again. "You really want him over me?" James asked quietly.

Lily nodded, biting her lip once again.

"Fine. Have it your way Evans. I hope you're happy with him." James said and with that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the common room. Lily sighed, glad that it was over with. James was a really fantastic actor.

Dean turned to her, grinning. "So you like me, huh?"

"Well, yeah I do." Lily said. Hadn't she made that obvious just now?

Dean smiled even wider. "Well how about you go to the Quidditich match with me tomorrow?"

Lily smiled. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great. I'll meet you down here around ten. Sound good?"

"Okay, sounds good." Lily agreed, nodding her head.

"Goodnight then Lily." Dean smiled.

"Night Dean." Lily said quietly.

She watched as he walked up the staircase to the boys' dormitories, then turned to Alice and Marlene, plopping down on the chair she had been sitting in earlier.

"That was great Lily!" Alice squealed.

"Yeah, you were really believable Lils. And that kiss looked super steamy." Marlene laughed.

"Thanks guys," Lily said sarcastically. Everything had worked out how it was supposed to, but Lily couldn't figure out why she wasn't happier about it. Or more excited to go to the match with Dean. "I think I'm going to go to bed now." She said, standing up.

They said goodnight, hugging each other. Lily headed towards the portrait hole, wanting to hurry and get to the Head's dormitories and go to bed but Sirius called out to her and she paused.

"Good job Evans," he said, smirking. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Lily shook her head and continued walking. "Yeah, neither did I." she mumbled under her breath as she climbed out of the opening. Lily made her way to the dormitory she shared with James, feeling a little more empty alone than she ever had before and she didn't know why.

**_A/N: Review please! All you have to do is click that little button down there *vv* and hit the keyboard a couple times ;) You just know you want to :) _**


	7. Higher Expectations

_**A/N: Okay guys! Here's yet another chapter for you! I really hope you like it :) This chapter is way longer than all the other ones, by about 1,000 words, and it would have been longer but I didnt want to keep dragging in on, and it seemed like a good place to end. I have a few surprised planned for the next chapter that I hope you'll like, so I can't wait to get it all typed up and posted on here! :)**_

_**Anyways, please review and tell me what you like and dislike about this story so I can make improvements for you! Also, do you think I'm dragging this story out, or going to fast? Or is it just the right pace? Let me know what you think (:**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Seven: High Expectations**

James walked out of the common room, just as they had planned. Everything had gone exactly as it was supposed to, except the kiss.

Damn, Lily wasn't supposed to kiss him back like that! He thought, running his hands through his hair yet again. He shook his head, walking out of the castle and down to the lake, hoping to clear his head. He didn't have any romantic interest in Lily Evans, so one kiss didn't even matter anyways.

So why couldn't he stop thinking about it? About her and her soft, vanilla flavored lips? He wondered, picking up a small stone and flinging it across the water.

James heard footsteps behind him and he turned around quickly, drawing his wand as he did so. Avery and Lestrange, those idiot seventh year Slytherins, had made a habit of appearing wherever he was when he happened to be alone. Stupid bloody "Death Eaters", as they called themselves-supporters of Voldemort. James couldn't wait until he was out of school so he could join the Order of the Phoenix, the only wizards and witches that were brave enough to stand up against the Dark Wizard.

"Whoa, Prongs, watch where you point that thing, would you?" Sirius said, pushing James's wand away from his face.

"Oh, sorry Padfoot," James said, placing his wand back in his pocket, "thought you were Avery or Lestrange there for a minute."

Sirius gwaffed, looking offended, and James laughed.

"What're you doing out here anyways?" he asked, plopping down onto the sand.

James took a seat next to him. "I dunno. Just needed some air I suppose."

Sirius looked at him knowingly, seeing right through James's excuse.

"So the plan worked right? McLaggen asked her to go to the match with him?" James questioned, changing the subject abruptly.

"Yeah it worked mate. I told you I'm a bloody genius, there was no doubt about it working." Sirius said cockily.

James rolled his eyes. "And Lily says I have a big ego. She obviously hasn't been around you too often."

"Speaking of Evans…you sure did look like you enjoyed that kiss in there Prongs." Sirius teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and James punched his arm.

"It wasn't really a kiss Padfoot. It was all a part of your plan, and I had to do it." James said defensively.

"Right. It wasn't a kiss. What was it then? A really wet handshake?"

"Oh shut up Padfoot."

Sirius shook his head and stood up, a huge grin on his face. "Whatever you say Prongs. Just remember you can't give up helping Evans get with McLaggen until it is totally official unless you want to lose this bet. And let me remind you, Marauders DO NOT lose, at anything."

James nodded, looking at Sirius. He wanted to tell him that Lily's kiss had affected him, but guys just didn't talk about that sort of stuff with each other. Anyways, she was going on a date with McLaggen, who was going to fall for her. It was inevitable, once someone got to know her, with her big green eyes and flaming hair…

Sirius turned back around, grinning still. "Oh, and Prongs, do your best mate a favor and get me an in with Evans' blonde friend will you? I wouldn't mind spending a few hours in a broom cupboard with that one, that's for sure."

James smirked, pulled out of his thoughts about Lily. "I'll see what I can do Padfoot."

Sirius nodded and called a goodnight over his shoulder, loping back up to the castle carelessly.

James sat by the lake for a little while longer, thinking about the events of the night, until he finally went back up to the castle, heading to the common room that he shared with Lily.

While James was sitting down by the lake, Lily returned to their shared common room. She had been tired when she said good-bye to Marlene and Alice, but now she felt wide awake.

She knew James wasn't there because the door to his bedroom was open and he was nowhere to be seen. Lily sat on the couch, deciding to wait for James to come back so they could talk about the kiss, and make sure that things wouldn't be awkward now.

After waiting for an hour and still no sign of James, Lily went and changed into her pajamas-a pair of red silky shorts with the Gryffindor emblem on the side and a black camisole-and returned to the couch. She was determined to talk to James before the match-and her date-tomorrow. She couldn't just go and pretend it hadn't happened.

So Lily sat there, curled up on the couch staring at the fire, and waiting for James Potter to return.

James climbed through the entrance to the Gryffindor Head's common room and found Lily curled up on the couch, fast asleep.

She looked so adorable, laying there. Her hair was draped over the arm of the couch, her head thrown back and her lips slightly parted.

Had she been waiting for him? He wondered, walking over to the couch. She was in her pajamas-cute little shorts and a lacy tank top- but she didn't have a book or anything. She had just been sitting there.

He stood there, debating what to do. He could leave her there, or he could wake her up and tell her to go to bed.

She looks so peaceful though, he thought, standing next to the couch and looking down and Lily.

She sighed and turned to her side, shifting so she was comfortable. James smiled and slid his wand out of his back pocket.

"Accio blanket." He whispered, flicking his wand a little. A large red blanket flew out the door to his room and he grabbed it, laying it over Lily carefully, trying not to wake her up.

She sighed again and smiled in her sleep. Probably thinking about her date with Dean, James thought, shaking his head. He turned, heading towards his room to go to sleep.

"James." Lily said quietly. James turned, surprised. He had been really quiet. He didn't think he had woken her up… but Lily was still sleeping, snuggling into the big blanket.

James grinned. She had said his name in her sleep, and had been smiling when she said it. Maybe he wasn't the only one to have felt a little more than friendship when they had kissed. .

"Goodnight Lily." James whispered as he turned and walked into his room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

.

The next morning Lily woke up and looked around, confused. Why was she in the common room? She wondered, sitting up and pushing the heavy blanket off of her.

She thought back, remembering acting out the plan Sirius had come up with, kissing James, and then returning to the common room to wait for him so they could talk about it. She must have fallen asleep before he came in though. That didn't explain where the blanket had come from though, because she didn't remember getting a blanket, seeing how she hadn't been planning to sleep on the couch in the common room.

As Lily looked around the common room, trying to fully wake herself up, James walked out of his room, pulling his T-shirt on over his head. Lily averted her eyes from his toned stomach and cleared her throat.

"Oh, morning Evans." James said nonchalantly, as if nothing had even happened between them the night before. Lily sighed. She had been hoping it wouldn't be like this, but apparently James wanted it to be.

"Morning Potter." She said, standing up to stretch. She felt James looking at her and blushed, pulling her cami down to cover the little strip of stomach that had been exposed by her stretch. "Did you….cover me up last night?" she asked, a bit embarrassed.

James nodded. "You looked pretty comfortable, so I didn't want to wake you up, but I thought you might get cold so I threw a blanket over you."

"Thanks for that then." She said, folding the blanket in question. She laid it on the couch, and pushed her hair out of her face. She really needed a shower and some food, and then she needed to get ready for the match. Would James still help her? Or was the bet over now that Dean had asked her out? She wondered, looking at James, a little confused. She didn't know where she stood with him anymore.

"No problem," James said, running his fingers through his hair. Lily was beginning to realize just how much he did that. "So, I figure you probably want a shower and some breakfast, but you probably need some help with the wardrobe for your date, and I need to make sure I'm on time for the match so if you don't mind can we get going?"

Lily nodded, relieved. She had no idea what to wear, and she hadn't fully gotten Dean yet. This was just going to the game together, it's not like they were even in a relationship. She still needed James's help.

"Do you want to just pick out my clothes and then you can go while I shower and get ready? I don't want to keep you from your usual routine." Lily said, biting her lower lip.

"Don't even worry about it. Just go get in the shower and leave the rest to me. Just point me in the direction of your clothes first." James said, grinning.

Lily walked up the stairs that lead to her room, James following behind her. After Lily showed him her wardrobe, she went and took a quick shower, savoring the smell of her strawberry shampoo. She had learned after the first time, and had taken her underwear into the bathroom with her so she was mostly covered, and walked out into her room, where James was waiting.

He handed her a pair of dark jeans and a black sweater with the Gryffindor emblem on the chest and turned around so she could dress. The jeans were tight, but comfortably so, and they fit her perfectly, accentuating her figure. The sweater was thick and soft, and hugged her figure perfectly.

"Perfect." James said, smiling at her. "Can you magically curl your hair Evans?" he asked, fingering a strand of her hair, which was still wet from the shower.

Lily nodded and grabbed her wand from the bedside table. She tapped the top of her head and waited as her hair magically dried itself and fell around her shoulders in soft curls. James nodded approvingly and handed her a tube of mascara.

"Put this on. You don't really need it, but because your outfit is rather plain, you might as well make your eyes stand out a lot." He explained at the look Lily gave him. She wasn't really a makeup sort of girl, choosing only to wear it to the dances that were held at Hogwarts.

Without arguing, Lily swiped mascara on her lashes, making them longer and darker. She turned to James. "Am I good to go? I'm pretty hungry." She asked, just as her stomach rumbled.

James laughed. "Yeah Evans. Good to go. Just remember, ask a lot of questions during the game, even if you know what's going on, it makes a guy feel important to explain things to girls."

Lily nodded. Ugh, really? I have to make myself look like an idiot? She thought. How stupid.

She slipped on a pair of black boots and wrapped her red and gold Gryffindor scarf around her neck. After sticking her wand into her boot, she turned to James, who was sitting on her bed watching her.

"You coming down to breakfast?" she asked impatiently. She really wanted to get some food before she had to meet Dean.

"Oh, yeah. Let's go then. I'll walk down to the Great Hall with you." James said, standing up and following Lily to the staircase.

"All I know is there better be some food left, or someone isn't going to be very happy." Lily mumbled as her stomach growled again. James chuckled once again and they walked together in silence to the Great Hall.

After eating breakfast with Marlene and Alice, all three girls headed up to the Gryffindor common room to meet Dean. He was just coming down the stairs when they entered the room through the portrait hole and he grinned when he saw Lily.

"Well hello gorgeous." He said, giving Lily a hug.

"Erm…morning Dean." Lily said when he released her. He sure did seem enthusiastic about seeing her, which seemed a little odd, but Lily wasn't complaining.

"Ready to go then? The match should be starting about the time we get down to the pitch." Dean asked. Lily nodded and he grinned even wider.

She looked around for Marlene and Alice, who had abandoned her with Dean. Lily shook her head. Just yesterday morning she had been begging for a chance like this, and now she was being abandoned with him? Stupid James Potter and his skilled lips.

"Yeah let's go." She agreed, mentally hitting herself in the head. She needed to stop thinking about James. He obviously felt nothing, and she needed to just stop. It wasn't worth her time, especially now that she was going on a date with Dean McLaggen, the boy of her dreams.

They walked out of the common room, climbing through the portrait hole, and walking down the halls towards the front doors. Dean slipped his arm around Lily's shoulders and she tensed for a second, but then relaxed, mentally cursing herself yet again. Why did she have to be so awkward for crying out loud?

When they reached the Quidditich pitch, Lily and Dean climbed the stairs leading to the Gryffindor section of the stands. They found empty seats in the row closest to the pitch and sat down, Dean keeping his arm around Lily's shoulders and Lily sitting there uncomfortably.

"It's about to start now." Dean yelled over the crowd, right in Lily's ear. She winced but nodded and smiled.

And I can't wait until it's over! She thought unhappily. She had always pictured this moment, and it was nothing like what she had imagined it would be.

The two teams-Gryffindor and Slytherin- walked out onto the field, accompanied by Madam Hooch, the referee. Lily could make out James and Sirius towards the front of the Gryffindor team, and smiled when James stepped forward to shake hands with the Slytherin captain, Rudolpho Lestrange. James stood there confidently, not backing down to the huge boy in front of him.

Miguel Jordan's voice boomed through with stands, enhanced by magic. "Let the game begin!" He shouted as Madam Hooch threw the quaffle into the air and the two teams kicked off the ground.

Lily cheered as Sirius swooped in and grabbed it, streaking down the field. Maybe if she just concentrated on the game, she could have a little bit of fun.

**_A/N: Its me again! Just wanted to remind you to please review and let me know what you think! :) All you have to do it click that little button right down there. You know the one ;)_**


	8. Annoyances, Injuries, and Quidditch

_**A/N: Another chapter! And I really hope you all enjoy this one. I also want to thank everyone for the reviews. I really appreciate them, and they keep me writing this story. :)**_

_**I want to give a huge shout out to Kalezz for the amazing review! Thank you so much :) I hope you like this new chapter!**_

_**So...review when you're done reading, let me know what you think please!**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Eight: Annoyances,Injuries, and Quidditch**

Lily sat in the stands with Dean, totally absorbed in the game going on before her eyes. She was mostly watching James, who was zooming back and forth across the pitch, following the quaffle. He was a really great player, Lily thought as he flew right past her. He grinned as he went past, and Lily blushed.

Dean looked down at her. "So, what's the deal between you and Potter?" he asked, sounding a little angry.

"Um, nothing. Why?" Lily asked, confused. Then she remembered the scene they had acted out, and the kiss-which she had been trying hard to forget-and blushed some more. "It's nothing Dean, really. All in the past."

"Good." Dean said simply. Lily looked at him, a little unbelievingly. He was acting a little arrogant, and her opinion of him was changing more for the worse the longer she was around him. By her count it had only been about an hour and she was already wanting to leave. She probably would have too if James hadn't been playing so well.

Lily shook her head and turned her eyes back to the match. James had told her to ask Dean questions about the game, to let him explain things to her. Maybe she should try that…maybe the date would be better than it was if she put a little more effort into it, she thought, sighing.

"Dean," Lily said, turning and looking at him through her eyelashes. He blinked and Lily giggled a little, really wanting to laugh out loud but remembering what James had coached her on. "What's happening? With the game, I mean." Lily said, feeling completely idiotic as she did so.

Dean looked away from her, back to the match. "Well, we have the quaffle right now, Sirius and James are passing it back and forth as they go up the field while Lestrange and Mulciber are chasing them. And Derrick Bell is chasing the snitch, trying to end the game." Dean said simply, as if that was all that was going on in the game.

Lily nodded, trying to act impressed when really, she couldn't believe that that was his explanation. There was so much more going on in the game than that! Avery, one of the beaters, kept aiming the bludger straight at James's head, not missing by much, and the other beater on the Slytherin team was chasing after Sirius as he went to throw the quaffle through the hoops. They were playing dirty, but only when Madam Hooch wasn't looking their direction so she couldn't call them on it.

Lily groaned as the Slytherin keeper blocked Sirius's shot and the quaffle started traveling back down the pitch towards the Gryffindor goalposts. Her eyes followed James as he flew around Mulciber skillfully, heading to help Sirius get the quaffle away from the other Slytherin chaser,

She stopped paying attention to Dean, who was looking around the stands as if the people around them were more important than the match. She really didn't understand why she had wanted to date him so badly, he was sort of a git, but she knew she had to keep an open mind after liking him for so long. Maybe he was just nervous, like she had been.

James and Sirius were down at the Slytherin goalposts, throwing the quaffle back and forth to each other, lobbying for a free shot, when Dean started playing with Lily's hair. She turned and looked at him.

"What're you doing?" she asked, rather annoyed at this point.

Dean, not sensing her annoyance, smiled. "You're hair, it's really red and curly."

"Yes, it is that. But what are you doing with it?" she asked.

"I was just playing around with it. I can't seem to keep my eyes off of you Lily. I'm so glad we came on this date." Dean said, still grinning stupidly.

Yeah, that makes one of us. Lily thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Just then, a huge gasp shook the stands, and people were standing up, holding their hands over their mouths and pointing to the pitch. Lily turned quickly, pulling away from Dean and standing up.

None of the players of either team were in the air anymore. The Slytherin team was huddled in a tight circle, smirking and laughing at the Gryffindor team, who were circled around something-someone-that was obviously hurt. Lily felt her heart jump to her throat as she examined the heads of the people surrounding the injured person.

_James!_ James is hurt! Lily thought, her hands covering her mouth in shock. What had happened? Ugh! Dean had been talking to her and she had missed what happened to James. Was he okay? How badly was he hurt?

"Dean, I have to go." Lily said hurriedly, squeezing past him to get to the stairs that led out of the stands.

"Lily, wait! Where are you going?" he asked, trying to follow her. She really didn't want to wait for him, or explain anything to him, because she honestly didn't know where she was going either. All she knew was that James was hurt, and she needed to make sure he was okay.

"I'll explain later Dean. Just please, let me go right now and we can talk later, in the common room."

Dean nodded, finally letting her go. "Okay Lily. I'll talk to you later then." He said, looking like a puppy dog that someone had kicked.

Lily felt bad. She did like Dean, or at least she had, but he was nothing like she had thought he would be like. And if she was honest with herself, all she had been thinking about for the past twelve hours was James and kiss perfect lips, gorgeous hazel eyes, and messy hair. She had even dreamt about him.

She shook her head as she made her way down the stairs, trying to gather her thoughts. She would have to wait until after she knew if James was okay to think about her feelings and what she needed to do about them. Until then, her thoughts about James would have to disappear to the far corner of her mind.

"Lily!" Lily heard behind her as she reached the bottom of the steps. She turned and saw Remus running down the steps.

"Remus! Did you see what happened? I missed it. I only saw James on the ground and everyone surrounding him." Lily said breathlessly. She hadn't realized she had been running down the steps, but she had been.

"Avery hit James in the head with a bludger purposely. Of course, he did it behind Madam Hooch's back, so she can't call it, but it knocked James unconscious, and he fell off his broom. Sirius caught him, luckily, and brought him down." Remus said once he had reached Lily. "Sirius is taking him up to the hospital wing right now, and the match is over. James will be glad we won, at least."

Lily shook her head. "You boys, you can get hurt severely, but none of that matters as long as you won the game."

Remus laughed. "Well, Quidditich is James's life. It's very important to him and Sirius. Sometimes I think they take it a little too seriously, but I have no say in what they do."

Lily laughed, glad that Remus had lightened the mood a little. She felt silly freaking out while she was with one of the Marauders, and James's best mates, who was acting completely normal.

"So, you seemed pretty worried about him Lily." Remus said, giving Lily a pointed look. She felt like he could somehow read her mind-like he knew exactly how much the kiss she had shared with James affected her.

"Well, he could be seriously injured. Then who would help me make sure I have Dean all to myself?" Lily said, trying to sound serious as she was secretly blanching inside. But Remus didn't need to know that, because there was no doubt that he would tell James.

Remus chuckled, nodding his head. "Touche, Lily Evans." Lily grinned, but Remus was still looking at her like he knew that she was having thoughts about James that she probably shouldn't have been having. She didn't like it, but she didn't want to bring it up in case it was only her imagination.

They continued up to the hospital wing in a comfortable silence, walking a little faster than they normally would. When they reached the hospital wing they found Sirius pacing in the hallway, the doors shut behind him.

"Padfoot, what's going on? How is he?" Remus asked worriedly. Lily stood there, chewing on her lip. If Sirius was looking this worried, it couldn't be good.

"Moony, I…he hasn't woken up or moved since we fell off his broom. The bludger hit him really hard, right in the back of the head." Sirius said, starting to pace again.

Lily felt her eyes burn, the tell-tale sign that she was going to cry. Remus put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, and she was thankful for that.

"I'm going to kill Avery. Seriously, I'll go Adava Kedavra on his ass, I swear." Lily said angrily, trying to fight back the tears.

Sirius and Remus turned to her, shocked. They had never heard Lily Evans cuss, and they had definitely never heard her threaten someone's life, even if it was a dirty bloody Slytherin.

"What?" Lily asked, seeing the looks on their faces. They both shook their heads and walked over to the wall where there were chairs lined against the wall. They had left the seat between them open for Lily to sit in and she walked over and sat down.

"Prongs has to be okay. There's no way he can't be okay." Sirius was saying, looking really upset. He almost looked like he had been crying, but Lily couldn't tell.

Remus nodded. "Don't worry. Prongs is tough, and stubborn as hell. He'll be just fine."

Lily could only hope that Remus was right as she sat there, waiting for news on James, her stomach clenched into a huge knot that had no chance of loosening until James was fully recovered and strutting around the school again.

**_A/N: Me again, just reminding you to review! Tell me what you think please! :)_**


	9. Confessions and Stumbling Tongues

_**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter! I'm not sure if I like it, but please let me know what you think! **_

_**Also, thank you all so much for the amazing reviews you leave. I really appreciate them! To know that people actually read my work, and enjoy it no less, is an incredible feeling and the reviews inspire me to continue writing this story. Soo...please keep it up!**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Nine: Confessions and Stumbling Tongues**

After two hours of sitting outside the hospital wing waiting for Madam Pomfrey to finish examining James, Lily was starting to get even more worried. What was taking so long? Professor Dumbledore had gone in there some time ago, telling them that he would let them know when they could go in and see James, but he still hadn't come out yet.

"What in the bloody hell is taking so long?" Sirius groaned, hitting his head on the wall behind him. Lily could see the genuine worry in his features and put a hand on his arm, trying to comfort him, as Remus had done for her.

Sirius looked down at her hand laying on his forearm, then looked up at Lily. "Why are you here Evans? Thought you and Dean had your big date today." He asked. He wasn't being rude about it, but he sounded curious.

Lily thought about it. Why was she here and not with Dean? Well, Dean's a bloody idiot! She thought honestly. She really didn't know what she had seen in him to waste all the time she had on him, but that was in the past, and all she could do was move forward. Besides, she didn't think she could be with someone who didn't like her the way she really was, without the tight clothes and stupid giggle. James, on the other hand, had helped her out when she "needed" it, without asking questions.

And then, he had kissed her, and it had been absolutely perfect. There were no words to describe it really. Admittedly, he had only done it to help Lily get Dean's attention, and only because Sirius had come up with the plan, but he had still done it. And Lily couldn't stop thinking about it, and wondering if he was thinking about it too. It had to mean something to him, she couldn't have been the only one that felt something….

Shaking her head, she answered Sirius, but what she said was far from the truth. "Well, I'm here because James helped me with Dean. I felt kind of…I dunno, obligated I guess." She grimaced a little as the lie slipped through her lips.

Sirius looked at her seriously and Lily could tell that he didn't buy the story. "Evans, you don't threaten to Adava Kedavra someone just because you feel obligated to the person they hurt. Now fess up. We won't tell, will we Remus?"

Lily looked over at Remus, who had stood up and began pacing. He paused in front of them and looked at Lily. "We won't say a word. I think I already know anyways, I'd just rather hear it from you than guess."

Lily sighed. She really didn't want to discuss this with them, after all, she didn't even know exactly how she felt anymore, but she had to talk to somebody, and she had no idea where Marlene and Alice were.

"Well, the thing is, Dean's an idiotic git. I was with him for ten minutes and I wanted to leave." She said, looking down at her hands. "And I….I keep thinking about James, and that stupid kiss that you planned." Lily said, glaring at Sirius. This was his entire fault. If he hadn't have come up with the idea of James and her kissing, she wouldn't have ever thought about it…probably.

Sirius grinned. "Ha! I knew McLaggen was a prick."

Lily looked at him. Out of her whole confession, that was all he picked up?

"Lily, you aren't the only one that's been thinking about the kiss that you two shared." Remus said, sitting back down next to her. Lily turned to him, surprised.

"What do you mean, Remus?"

"James is going to kill me for telling you this, because he hasn't even admitted it to us, but he has feelings for you Lily. After you guys kissed, well, I think he realized how much he likes you." Remus paused, as if debating on continuing. "He won't say anything because of how much you like Dean. He has too big of an ego for that."

Sirius nodded. "After he took off out of the common room, he went out to the lake. When I went out there to find him, I could tell her wanted to tell me, but seeing how guys don't have mushy confession sessions, he didn't say anything."

Lily sat there, shocked into silence. James liked her? It wasn't just her that had felt something with the kiss? Lily felt the knot in her stomach loosen a little at the news. Before she could say anything, the door opened and Professor Dumbledore walked out, turning to look at them.

"You can go see him now. He's awake at the moment." He said, smiling down at the three of them kindly, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Thank you Professor." They said simultaneously, hurrying past him and into the hospital wing. James was in the farthest bed from the door, his head propped up by three huge fluffy pillows. He turned to face them at the sound of their footsteps and when his eyes met his, James broke into a huge grin.

Lily blushed happily. Even though he was in the hospital wing, he was still happy to see her.

"Prongs! Thanks a lot for scaring the bloody hell out of us!" Sirius shouted furiously. Now that he was sure James would be okay, he could be angry instead of worried.

"Like it was my fault!" James said, wincing a bit as he shifted. Lily winced. He was obviously hurting. She sat down in the chair that was closest to the head of the bed quietly. Remus, seeing that James was still in pain, and that Lily obviously wanted a little time alone with him, grabbed Sirius's arm.

"C'mon Padfoot. We can come back and see James later, now that we know he's okay."

James smiled appreciatively. "Thanks Moony. Sirius, you know I'm not going to let that prick Avery get the glory of killing me. He doesn't deserve the honor." James chuckled, wincing again.

Sirius laughed and Lily rolled her eyes. Boys and their egos…it was ridiculous.

When Sirius and Remus were gone, James turned to Lily. "So, how'd your date go?" he asked.

"That doesn't matter right now, but seeing how you're going to ask me about it until I give you an answer, it was agonizing. I was about to jump over the side of the stands when you got hurt." Lily laughed, shaking her head at the events of the day.

James looked surprised. "I thought you were like, in love with McLaggen?"

"What? No. No way. I was never in love with him. It was just a silly crush that got out of hand. I didn't even know the guy, and now that I've sent a couple hours with him, I'm not sure I want to know him at all."

James lay there silently, looking at Lily. She blushed as his eyes roamed her face.

"Enough about me, are you okay James? That bludger must've hit you really hard." Lily said worriedly, looking at his head, trying to see where it had hit him. His head wasn't wrapped in a bandage, so it was hard to tell, especially under all his messy black hair.

"I'm fine, honestly. It was nothing." James said, grinning feebly. "I don't see why everyone is making such a big deal about it. I shouldn't have to stay here for two days, but Madam Pomfrey keeps insisting, and apparently she knows best."

"You can stop with the bravado, I can tell you're hurting." Lily said, scooting closer to James. "Show me where it hurts, please."

James looked at her for a moment, then lifted his head, pointing to a huge lump right in the middle of his skull. Lily gasped. It was huge!

"Oh it's not that bad!" James insisted, laying his head back down, but when he winced again his words lost all meaning.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You're going to make me crazy Potter." She said, resting her hands on his bed right next to him.

"Lily, can I ask you a question? Without you getting offended?" James asked, looking her straight in the eye.

She felt the knot of fear leave her stomach only to be replaced by butterflies. Merlin, James had given her butterflies a lot lately…she thought. "Sure, go ahead." She said, biting her lip.

"Why are you here?" he asked and even though she had said she wouldn't get offended, she was. Did he want her to leave? Maybe Remus was wrong, and he hadn't felt anything from the kiss.

"I…do you want me to leave?" she whispered quietly, looking down and trying to fight back the tears that were burning behind her eyes. She felt so stupid for thinking that James Potter, _the _James Potter, would ever even look at her in that way.

"What? No, that's not what I was saying Lily! I just, didn't think that you would be concerned about me, that's all." James said, trying to backtrack. He had obviously upset her, which he hadn't meant to do at all. He was so happy that she was there visiting him instead of being off somewhere with McLaggen. Why was he such an idiot? He thought, irritated with himself.

"Maybe I'll just go." Lily said, standing up and avoiding looking at him. "I hope you feel better James."

James stuttered, trying to get Lily to stay, but he didn't know what to say. James groaned as he watched Lily walk quickly out of the hospital wing, cursing himself mentally. He just had to go and mess things up before he even had a chance to say anything didn't he?

Maybe Remus could help him out….after all, he was really good with words and talking to people. Next time he comes to see me, James thought determinedly, I'll tell him about Lily, and ask for his help. Next time….

**_A/N: Sooo...please let me know what you thought about this chapter! Any changes you think I should make to the story...likes/dislikes...questions...comments...all are welcome! So, click that button and type away :)_**


	10. Much Needed Girl Talk

_**A/N: Okay, so this is sort of a filler chapter, because I didnt wanted Lily to finally fully open up and admit to her feelings for James, and her fear of being hurt, before just jumping to another James/Lily scene. **_

_**Am I going to slow and dragging this story on? Let me know your thoughts and opinions please so I can make changes to improve the story :) I really appreciate all the great reviews I've gotten. I seriously love you all :) 3 You are fantastic!**_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Ten: Much Needed Girl Talk**

Lily walked out of the hospital wing as fast as she could, fighting back the tears until she was out of James's sight and hearing range. Ugh, she was so foolish, thinking that he would have feelings for her. She really needed to talk to Marlene and Alice about all this, so she headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Password?" asked the Fat Lady once Lily was standing in front of the portrait that lead into the common room.

"Gillyweed." Lily said absently. Marlene and Alice had better be somewhere in there, she thought as the Fat Lady nodded and the portrait swung open, revealing the entrance. Lily climbed in and looked around the room. Luckily, both girls were sitting on the floor in front of the fire, their books and papers spread out in front of them. They had been working on the Charms assignment, which Lily had yet to even look at. Just another thing to add to her list, she thought, annoyed.

"I need to talk to you guys. Now." Lily said, walking over to stand in front of them. They both looked up at her, surprised.

"Lily, what are you doing back so soon?" Alice asked, pushing the papers away from her.

Marlene stretched and rubbed her eyes. "What happened to your date with Dean?"

"Well, that's sort of what I need to talk to you guys about. Can we go somewhere more private, d'you think?" Lily asked.

Marlene and Alice looked at each other, and then back up at Lily. She obviously really needed them, so they would abandon their assignments for her. It's what friends did for one another. Without another word, they gathered their papers, shoving them into their bags.

"Let's just go back to my common room. Nobody's there, and only James and I have the password so nobody can come in either." Lily said, turning and heading back towards the portrait hole. Marlene and Alice followed, wondering what in the hell was so important that Lily was acting this unlike herself.

When they were finally in the Head's common room, Marlene plopped down on the couch, Alice and Lily following her lead.

"Okay Lils. Explain." Marlene demanded, making herself comfortable.

"Well, it's about James. And Dean." Lily said, pausing. Now that they were alone, she didn't really know how to explain everything she was feeling.

Alice raised her eyebrow. "James? And Dean? Lily, you have to explain everything. Start at why you aren't on your date with Dean, then you can work the rest in."

"The match was over. We won, but James got hurt. Avery, that stupid Slytherin beater, hit a bludger right at the back of his head and knocked him unconscious. He fell off of his broom and if Sirius hadn't have caught him, who knows how badly he would be injured." Lily explained. "Well, when I saw that James was hurt, I kind of freaked out, and left Dean in the stands and went straight to the hospital wing with Remus, where we meet Sirius."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Let me get this straight," Marlene interrupted, holding her hand up to stop Lily from continuing. "You left Dean, in the middle of a date, the date you've been dying to get, to go to the hospital wing to make sure James Potter was okay?"

"Well, yes, I did. See the thing is, my date with Dean was horrible. He's horrible. It was nothing like it was supposed to be, and I honestly have no bloody clue why I liked him so much in the first place. The truth is…I think I have feelings for James." Lily said quietly, chewing on her bottom lip.

She looked up at her two best friends, who were sitting there staring at her as if she had grown another head or something.

"You, Lily Evans, have feelings for James Potter?" Alice choked out, her eyes open so wide Lily couldn't help but worry that they would pop out of her head any minute now.

Lily nodded. She hadn't thought they would take it like this…she had hoped they would be a bit more supportive, but at least she had been honest with them.

Then Marlene started laughing. Lily looked at her, completely shocked. Her she was, telling her about her feelings for the elusive James Potter, and Marlene was laughing. Her head thrown back, mouth open, laughing.

"I…so…knew….it!" Marlene gasped between fits of laughter, clutching her stomach.

"What? You knew what?" Lily asked, totally confused. She looked at Alice, who was starting to smile. What the hell was going on here?

"I knew you were going to fall for James! As soon as you told us you were going to kiss him, I knew it." Marlene explained, trying to control her laughter. Alice started giggling as Lily looked from one to the other exasperatedly.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyways. It didn't mean anything to him, it was just a part of the plan." Lily said. Both girls stopped laughing at this.

"What Lily? Why do you say that?" Alice asked.

"When I went to see him in the hospital wing, I was going to tell him how I feel, but he asked me why I was even there, like he didn't want me there or something. I left after that, I couldn't tell him."

"Lily! Are you sure he was saying it like that? He could have just been wondering why you weren't with Dean." Marlene exclaimed.

"No, you don't understand. James is…well, he's perfect. There is no reason he would even look at me in that way. He can have any girl in this school. He wouldn't want me, that's for sure."

Alice and Marlene shook their heads. Lily was their best friend, but she was so unaware of how beautiful she was, and how many guys would be lucky to have her.

"Lils, I think you just need to talk to James. Tell him how you really feel. I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. Remember, we were there when you kissed. We saw his face when he pulled away, and he definitely wanted to kiss you again." Marlene said, always the voice of reason.

"I'll think about it, how about that?" Lily said, slouching down on the couch. All she wanted to do now that she had everything off her chest was curl up and go to bed.

"As long as you really think about it, and you aren't just saying that, then okay." Alice said, as she stood up. Marlene followed suite and they both hugged Lily.

"Now, missy, you go up to your bed, curl up under the covers, and think about this. You really do need to talk to him about this, you know you do, but you're stubborn. So go." Marlene said, pulling Lily up from the couch.

"Thank you guys. Really, I'm so lucky to have you as my friends."

With one last goodnight, Marlene and Alice walked out of the Head's common room, returning to the Gryffindor common room, and Lily walked up the stairs, taking her friends' advice.

She was going to climb in bed and think about James and all that she felt for him. And then she was going to plan out a way to tell him, and just hope with all her being that she didn't get hurt in the end.

**_A/N: So what did you think? You know what to do ;D_**


	11. Midnight Talks

_**A/N: Okay guys! Here's another chapter! :) I've gotten a lot of reviews asking for more Sirius...so here he is! :D Sirius is one of my favorite characters right after Lily and James, so I love writing about him. *sigh***_

_**I'm thinking about wrapping this up in the next chapter, even though I can carry it on. It all depends on what you want from me! :) So, if you want me to keep going, review and let me know, otherwise, I'll probably wrap it up in the next chapter. **_

_**Happy Reading! xx**_

**Chapter Eleven: Midnight Talks**

Lily tossed and turned in her bead, thinking about James-as she had been since the moment their kiss had been planned out. She lay there, trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings like the practical and organized girl she was, but all she could thing about was how scared she had been when she saw James laying on the ground, badly hurt.

She knew it was impractical and stupid but she had fallen head over heels in love with James Potter in only a few days. There was nothing she could do about it, except tell him and hope he felt the same.

There was a loud crash, pulling Lily out of her thoughts. It had come from the common room, and Lily climbed out of bed slowly, grabbing her wand from her nightstand as she went. Nobody but her, James, Professor McGonagal, and Professor Dumbledore knew the password, and Lily couldn't imagine the Professors making a huge ruckus in the middle of the night, and James was in the hospital wings, not allowed to leave for another day or so. The only other option was that someone had snuck into the common room somehow, for what she had no idea, but that was the only thing she could think of to explain the noise.

Lily crept down the stairs quietly, her eyes scanning the room. She couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't there. James's door stood open and Lily tiptoed over, looking around the doorframe into the room.

A dark figure was crouched down, rummaging through the trunk at the end of James's bed, obviously looking for something.

She raised her wand, the intruder still totally unaware that she was there.

"Stupify!" she shouted and the person froze, dropping to the ground with a thud.

"Lumos." Lily said as she stepped closer to the person. She held her wand high, the light illuminating the room and brining the stunned intruder's face into view. "Sirius? What the hell?"

Lily stood over Sirius, who was laying on the ground, frozen in an uncomfortable crouching position, with James's things spread around him on the floor and a cloak in his hand.

She waved her wand, lifting the spell, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Explain."

Sirius sat up, groaning as he stretched his legs out. "Why'd you have to stun me Evans?" he asked grumpily.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because it's the middle of the night and you're going through James's trunk, and you aren't even supposed to be able to get in here without me or James."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "James told me the password a long time ago. I needed to get something from him, but seeing how he's in the hospital, he told me to come and get it myself."

"Why do you need James's cloak so badly? Can't you just use your own?" she asked, eyeing the cloak that Sirius was holding, and raising her eyebrows.

"You wouldn't understand Evans," Sirius said as he stood up. "It's not just a cloak."

Lily wrinkled her nose, confused. Not just a cloak? What was so special about it?

Sirius, seeing her look, sighed. "You aren't going to let me go until I explain, are you?"

Lily shook her head. "Not a chance Black."

"Well, it's easier to show you than explain." He said as he shook out the cloak. He threw it around himself and Lily gasped.

"It's an invisibility cloak! How amazing."

Sirius grinned. "It does come in handy most of the time."

Lily grabbed a corner of the fabric, running it through her fingers. It felt just like a regular cloak, and even looked like one when it wasn't on someone. It was truly incredible.

"How did you get this?" she asked, looking back up at Sirius, who had uncovered his head.

"James's dad passed it down to him. When James has a son-if he has a son-he'll pass it on to him." Sirius explained casually. Lily stood there in awe.

"So what did you need this for?" she asked as Sirius took the cloak off and folded it up.

"That's classified Evans. You aren't even supposed to know about this cloak in the first place, let alone what we use it for. Marauders only." Sirius smirked.

"Well maybe you can help me out Black. Just to ensure I don't accidentally let it slip to Professor McGonagal that you snuck in here in the middle of the night." Lily said cunningly, quickly formulating a plan in her mind.

She really needed to talk to James, and she didn't want to wait until morning,

"What exactly do you need my help with Evans?" Sirius asked, a little alarmed by the devious look on Lily's face.

She smiled at him sweetly. "I need you to get me into the hospital wing, without being seen. I need to talk to James."

"It's the middle of the night! What's so important that it can't wait?"

"Telling him I love him! That's what's so bloody important." Lily exclaimed, blushing. It felt so great to be able to speak her mind and tell people how she was feeling, even if they were feelings that she had just realized she had.

Sirius's eyes widened. "You…you love him? Bloody hell…."

Lily blushed. "Well will you help me or not Black?"

Sirius debated for a moment, then nodded. "I can't keep my best mate from his happily ever after and what not now can I? But there is one condition if I help you get there."

"What's the condition?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes. Sirius always had to be difficult, didn't he?

"You get me a date with Marlene, your pretty blonde friend." Sirius said simply.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "You fancy Marlene? Oh, she's going to be thrilled when I tell her!" she grinned.

Sirius looked surprised. "What? If she'd be thrilled then why does she always ignore me when I try to ask her out?"

"Well she thinks you're just trying to prank her or something. But she really does like you. According to her, you are the best looking person in the school. And she's always talking about your arse." Lily laughed, looking at Sirius who was actually blushing. She had never seen him acting or looking anything but cocky, except when he was waiting on news of James, and seeing the embarrassed side of him was rather nice.

"Well, get her to agree to a date with me. Say…Hogsmeade next weekend?"

"Consider it done," Lily smiled. "Can we go now?"

Sirius grinned back at her. "C'mon Evans. Just be quiet and we won't get caught."

Lily followed Sirius out of James's bedroom, through the common room, and out of the entrance into the corridor.

He unfolded the cloak and threw it over himself and Lily.

"It's really crowded under here." Lily whispered.

Sirius chuckled. "This is nothing compared to fitting all four of us Marauders under here, trust me."

They crept through the halls quietly, pausing every few minutes to listen for footsteps coming towards them. Lily almost had a panic attack when Peeves floated past them, only inches from brushing against her.

"Rookies." She heard Sirius scoff once Peeves had turned the corner and she elbowed him in the side.

They reached the doors to the hospital wing without seeing anybody else and Lily let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"D'you mind if I leave you here? I still have some things I have to take care of." Sirius asked.

Lily nodded. Madam Pomfrey would be asleep at this hour and James was the only one in the wing.

"Thank you Sirius. Really. Oh, and one more thing….you better not do anything to hurt Marlene. I will hex you into next year if you do." Lily said, smiling up at him.

"No problem Evans. It's kind of nice to see your rebellious side. And I promise, I won't do anything to hurt Marlene. But you better not hurt James, he's pretty fragile." Sirius smirked, teasing her.

"You know, if anyone was capable of doing any hurting, James would be the one hurting me."

Sirius laughed. "You really have no clue, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh just get in there Evans. Tell him you love him already." Sirius said, pulling the cloak off of Lily and pushing her towards the doors that led into the hospital wing.

With one last grin, Sirius turned and disappeared under the cloak. Lily took a deep breath and pushed open the door quietly.

It was time to finally be honest and tell James she loved him. If he didn't feel the same, she would have to deal with that.

But, the truth was, she would never know unless she took a chance. So Lily Evans, acting very unlike herself, braced herself for the biggest leap she would ever take in her life and started towards James.

**_A/N: So what did you think? Was a Lily/Sirius chapter good? Please let me know what you thought. Also, let me know if you want me to keep going or end it all in the next chapter! The life of this story depends on you! So click that little button and type away, my wonderful readers :D_**


	12. Confessions

**_A/N: The End? Ah, decisions, decisions. Let me know if you think I should go a bit further with this story or if I should end it here. I can't decide... :/ If you want more, I'll write more, but you have to review and let me know! :)_**

**_Happy Reading! xx_**

**Chapter Twelve: Confessions**

James was asleep when Lily reached the side of his bed, which wasn't surprising seeing how it was the middle of the night, and she took advantage of the opportunity to look at him without him looking back at her.

He really was handsome, with his strong jaw, hazel eyes, and consistently messy jet black hair.

How did I not notice it before? Lily wondered. Oh, right, I was too busy fancying Dean to notice any other boy.

Lily sat down in the chair beside the head of the bed. She didn't want to wake him up when he was sleeping so peacefully. As a precaution, Lily pulled her wand out and whispered, "Muffilatio." That way, if James did wake up and they talked, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be able to hear them.

Lily put her wand back in her pocket and grabbed James's hand, holding it between both of hers. Maybe talking could wait until the morning, when he was awake. For now, she was okay with just sitting with him in silence.

Half an hour later, Lily was resting her head on her hands, which were still clasped around James's hand. She sat up and looked around, thankful that Madam Pomfrey hand not chosen to come and check on James while she was there, because she could get into serious trouble for being out past curfew.

"Lily?" she heard James whisper unbelievingly. She turned back to him and smiled.

"James, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I thought you hated me, after you ran out of here earlier." James said, looking down. It was strange, seeing him look embarrassed. He was always cocky and confident, much like Sirius.

"Of course I don't hate you. I was being silly, I guess, and I overreacted." Lily said, more than a little embarrassed herself. She felt the tell-tale blush spread across her cheeks.

"I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings by asking what you were doing there. I was so happy to see you, I just thought…I mean, you and Dean, even though you said that the date was bad…I dunno…" he trailed off, meeting her gaze again.

"Please, forget about Dean. I'd really like to pretend that never happened." Lily said, meeting James's gaze intensely.

Oh Merlin Lily! Just tell him you goddamn bloody love him already! She scolded herself mentally.

"James, there's a reason I'm here this late…" Lily said, biting her lip. James's gaze moved to her mouth and she felt her blush intensify. His eyes returned to hers after a minute, but he seemed a little distracted.

"What is it Lily? You can tell me anything, you know." James said, searching her face.

Lily paused and felt the familiar sensation of the whomping willow beating its branches around in her stomach. "Well, I…I don't really know how to say this, but Dean…well he was a mistake. I can't stand the bloke even long enough to watch a Quidditch match, and I don't know what I saw in him in the first place."

James furrowed his brow adorably. "So are you saying you want my help getting him to not like you? Because I don't know if I can do that Lily. You're pretty incredible, any guy that spends even an hour with you is a goner."

Lily stopped short, shocked. He, James Potter, had spent more than an hour with her….was he saying…that he was in love with her too?

James, as if realizing what he had insinuated, tried to backtrack. He didn't want Lily to get mad at him, but what he had said was true. He had fallen for her halfway through the first day of their bet, and his feelings had only grown stronger since the kiss. He hadn't known what he was feeling at first, but after thinking about it in the incredibly boring hours he had spent laying in the hospital wing, he had finally sorted it all out.

He wasn't even in love with the version of Lily he had helped transform her into, with the tight clothes and ditzy giggles. He was head over heels, one hundred and fifty percent in love with the uptight, studious, teacher's pet Lily Evans. And he was definitely okay with that. She was perfect just the way she was. She didn't need to change to be gorgeous or funny or endearing. She just was.

"Is that right?" Lily whispered, her eyes shining. James, pulled out of his reverie, looked at her and nodded silently. Lily smiled widely. "James, I came here to tell you I love you. I don't know how or why, but in the couple of days we spent together, I fell head over heels. You make me absolutely crazy sometimes, with your pranks and cockiness, but I can't stop thinking about you."

James was shocked into silence. Lily loved him? Lily sat there, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Why wasn't he saying anything? Oh, no, he didn't feel the same. He thought she was stupid…

She looked down, a little heartbroken. James still hadn't said a word and the more time passes, the more foolish she felt.

"Lily," James finally said, and Lily looked up slowly, blinking in hopes of hiding the tears in her eyes. Merlin, this boy had made her cry in the past two days than she had in six years of Hogwarts put together. "Lily, I love you too. I didn't want to say anything, because you fancied McLaggen so damn much, and I didn't want to interfere. I just wanted you to be happy. You have no idea how much I've been thinking about you. It's like nothing else in the world matters. It's just you. You're it for me." James grinned at this revelation. Lily _was _it for him. No other girl mattered, and none of the ones before had ever mattered this much. He wanted to marry Lily Evans, and have a family with her. He could see it now, their future. A true Happily Ever After.

Lily grinned at him. "I was so afraid you didn't feel the same, James. That's part of the reason I ran out of here today. When I saw you hurt, I realized that you were more than a friend to me. I couldn't stand it, I felt helpless. I don't like depending on other people, but I don't think I can be without you anymore."

James pulled himself up quickly, wincing at the sudden movement as he was still sore from his injuries, and pulled Lily up onto the bed with him.

"Lily Evans, you don't have to worry about living another moment without me. I'm never letting you go, you understand me?" James grinned.

Lily laughed. He was back to his usual cocky self, and she loved him even more for it. "I'll hold you to that, Potter."

James pulled her closer, his hands sliding up to cup her face in his hands. Lily sighed and let her eyelids flutter closed. Without a moment's hesitation, James leaned in, and pressed his lips to her softly, then with more pressure. Lily opened her mouth, allowing his tongue inside. The kiss deepened and Lily moved closer, pressing her whole body against his. His fingers were tangled in her hair and she was running her hands down his chest, caressing his toned Quidditch muscles. James groaned and pulled away so they could both get air, but his lips never left her. He ran a trail of kisses down her neck and back up to her face, kissing her all over.

"James, why did you act like the kiss in the common room didn't faze you?" Lily asked as James kissed her neck some more.

He pulled away and looked her straight in the eye. "I was afraid, honestly. I didn't want you to see how I felt about you, and risk losing you as a friend. I figured even if you were with McLaggen, we could still manage to be friends. I decided to hide my feelings to keep from making a fool of myself. Stupid, I know."

Lily shook her head. "Not stupid, not at all. I was afraid to tell you how I felt. I didn't even decide to do it until all of our friends told me I had to. I was afraid you'd laugh and think I was stupid."

"Guess our friends knew better than we did, didn't they?" James chuckled.

"Guess so. But we can't tell them that or they'll never let us forget it." She laughed, resting her head on James's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Sirius especially." He agreed.

"I'm really glad I came in here tonight James." Lily whispered against his shoulder.

James smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Me too, Lily, me too."

**_A/N: Please, please, please review! Likes/Dislikes? Should I keep writing or end it? Let me know in a review! I'll love you forever :)_**


	13. Author's Note: The End

_**First of all, PLEASE do not kill me for just leaving an author's note! But, I couldn't just leave all of you amazing reader's hanging.**_

_**Okay, a few people have asked me to continue this story, but I think I ended in it a good place and I don't really want to drag it on. BUT! I am going to write a follow-up story, just so we can see Lily and James in a relationship, and so we get to see Sirius and Marlene's budding romance :)**_

_**Before I upload the follow-up story to this one though, I have been working on another that I am going to upload right after this goes up. It is called "James, My Boyfriend?" and I really, really, really hope that all you lovely readers out there will check it out!**_

_**But anyways, I will eventually post the sequel to this story, just be patient with me, I have to work on it and perfect it so that you will all enjoy it (: But meanwhile, please take a look at my new story and let me know what you think.**_


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